My Trauma Began Long Before I Hid From My Step-Father - Lilith's Story

7 On Sundays™ Podcast

What happens when trauma is not addressed and healed in a family? Often, untreated wounds and patterns of dysfunction, consciously or unconsciously, are repeated and carried forth within families as “intergenerational trauma.”

While the concept of Intergenerational trauma may be a new idea to some, others live it firsthand.

We learn much more from our forebears than language and favorite family recipes. We learn and experience imprinted paradigms for communication, relationship functioning, mental health coping strategies, and self esteem. Unfortunately, in many cases, parents model ineffective and unhealthy coping because of addiction, abuse, stress, rage and conflict in marriages and families. Children watch how a parent handles mistreatment from a partner and overwhelm. If a parent’s conflict resolution skills, self worth, therapeutic resources, and support are limited, this has an impact on all the family members.

Today’s guest, Lilith, lived in a home with an abusive step-father and a mother attracted to emotionally unavailable and violent men. Thankfully, Lillith had a loving grandmother who helped raise her. However, her grandmother was a child of the foster care system and likely had her own unhealed emotional scars..

What is the fallout of this upbringing? For Lilith, the traumas run deep and her emotional struggles are at times, debilitating. But…she is determined to raise her young son differently. Dr. Chez shares powerful, transformative tools to help Lilith begin the long journey of looking at and working through her intergenerational and individual traumas.

RESOURCES

If you or a loved one are in an abusive relationship, please call your local police or

The National Domestic Violence Hotline [phone].SAFE (7233) or 1-800-787-3224

*988 the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Content Warning and Introduction

01:21 Navigating Difficult Relationships and Self-Advocacy

07:38 Lilith's Journey: How Childhood Trauma Follows Us

18:01 Healing and Reprogramming Trauma

26:41 Generational Patterns and the Path to Healing

31:00 Exploring the Roots of Relationship Struggles

32:25 Addressing the Impact of Sexual Abuse

34:29 The Power of Words and Self-Expression

36:39 Empowerment Through Setting Boundaries and Self-Nurturing Strategies

39:08 The Role of Parenthood in Personal Healing

48:25 Sharing to Heal: The Power of Community Support

56:19 Concluding Thoughts: Never Give Up